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with buzzing insects. I know the village is slightly nearer the equator than still-hibernating East Dulwich, but this was ridiculous.Dozens of honeybees were bobbing about on the flowers, together with their hoverfly mimics, droneflies (Eristalis tenax

.Types to sow now include crimson clover, fenugreek, field lupins - even broad beans. They germinate and grow quickly and reduce weed growth. Flowering varieties even attract bees and beneficial insects.Nothing could be simpler, and the green manures help break

the garden as an excuse for providing shelter and hibernation hotels for wildlife. Who can argue with that? It's true that many insects and creepy crawlies, frogs, toads and other wildlife do need a place to shelter, and a pristine, tidy garden provides few

years seems to have produced a bumper crop of them. Right now they look stunning in my grass (no, I don't call it a lawn) and the central strip of my drive. They're well loved by many insects and adored by the local rabbits (I wonder if this is a good

valuable nectar and pollen for visiting insects. During the summer months it's important to take precautions against the sun and heat. I always make sure I wear plenty of sunscreen and take a large bottle of water to drink from. I've started visiting

by the tendency of these little birds to strip yellow flowers, such as crocus, but so what? And don't forget that the adults not only eat weed seeds, but they also feed their young with insects and their larvae. All-in-all, sparrows are a delight and a help

as these lovely, helpful insects I've also got a good smattering of the not-so-helpful varieties of wildlife, such as slugs, snails, chafer beetles and assorted aphids.I've also spotted a few cabbage white butterflies hovering around my brassicas. It's hard

, is a bit bracing, there can be midges (one of those insects created with no obviously useful purpose) and rainy days are not unknown around here. But, apart from those minor niggles, it is a paradise largely unspoilt by man.

then pollinate plants such as runner beans and strawberries. Borage also attracts blackfly, which then theoretically leave the other plants alone. Equally, when planted near tomatoes, it's said to attract pollinating insects, increasing yield, as well

the young leaves were added to peoples' sandwiches; it supports at least 149 species of insect and the berries feed more than 23 species of bird; hawthorn is pollinated by dung flies and midges attracted to the mildly unpleasant smell and the fact